Securing means



C. MENDLER.

SECURING MEANS..

APPLICATION FILED Mei. 1921.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

I [III/FEE!- C/mr/es Mead/er UNITED STATES FPATENT' OFFICE.

CHARLES mEivn nn -orsAN rnANcIsoo, CALIFORNIA.

s'nonnme MEANS.

To aZZwhom'itmag concern: m

Be it known that L'. CiilinLns MEN-Diana. a

citizen of .the'United States,residing in -the city and-county ofSan Francisco and State ofCalif-ornia have invented a new and use.-

ful Improvement in a Securing Means of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in securing means for buttons provided with a shank adapted for insertion through fabric particularly with respect to lapel buttons such as the emblems of fraternal orders and the like. 4 g r The primary obj ect-of my invention is to provide an improved securing'means arranged toengage'the shank of a button-to removably securesaid button in. position. 7

Another object of my invention is to. provide an improved clamp adapted to facilitate the placing and removing'of a button from a lapel or other place ofmounting.

A further object is to provide a securing means for use with buttons having smooth straight shanks to eliminate-the cost 0 3 threading and tapping in manufacture.

A still further object isto provide adevice of the character described which is efiicient and durable andwhich may be manu- I accomplish these and other objects by means of-the device disclosed in the drawingsforming a part-of the present specification wherein like characters-of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings, and in which: 7 7

- Fig.1 is a rear elevation of myimproved securing means drawn upon an enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as applied to the shank of a button.

Fig. 1 is a broken vertical section of the securing means as shown in Fig. 3.

F 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated, the shank of a button being shown in engaged position. 7 i

. Referring to the drawings my improved securing device is seen to comprise a clamping member designated 1n generalby the numeral 1 and a backing memberdesignated in general by the numeral 2. w

The clamping member 1 is stamped from spring steel or other suitable material to form an annular ring 3. the material form- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1922. I Application filed August 2, 1921. Serial No. 489,294.

ingthe inner portion of the ring being 0fi'- set from the plane ofthe ring and shaped to form a pair of clamping elements 4 have ing proximate edges 6 providedrwith oppositely disposed and centrally positioned recesses 7 forming anaperture 8. In the preferred construction illustratedin the drawings and best shown in Fig. ,1, theelements tare formed by severing the offset portion for the greater part of its diameter, leaving oppositely disposed attaching strips 9. A central aperture is punched andthe two clamping portions severed along diagonal lines tan ent. to theaperture. Extensions -11 are formed upon the elements 4-theouter ends of which are offset as at 12 to form grippingedges by which the elements may be sprung outwardly.

The backing 'member .is stamped from sheet metal or other suitable material .to

form a ring 14 havinganv annular-flange 16 adapted to fit aroundthe ring?) and :to be .criinped thereoverto form an annular rim.

A diametrically disposed band 17 having an enlarged'portion 18in which is'punched or otherwise formed an aperture 19 extends between opposite sides of therin-g 14 to give strength and rigidity to the rim and to provide a flat surface "adapted to be pressed against'back of a lapel or other object to which a button is to'be secured.

While my invention is capable of a broader interpretation to include any button having a shank. I have illustrated my improved securing means and will describe the operation of the dexdce in connection with a lapel pin,

.ric and my device pushed onto the protruding point 23, the flat surface of the band 17 being-presented to the back of the lapel.

' The aperture formed by the recesses I7 is of a diameter slightly less than thediameter of the shank 22 so that as the device is crowded over the point 23, the gripping elements 4 will be forced outwardly to admit the shank, the spring resilience of the metal serving to hold the contacting edges of the recesses 1n frictional engagement with the shank 22. The securing device is advanced along the shank until the fabric of the lapel is firmly engaged between the band 17 and the back of the button Ql thereby holding said button in position.

, As the clamping elements 4 are outwardly offset, any force tending to move the securing means rearwardly along the shank will operate to move the edges of the recesses 7 into firmer engagement with the shank 22, thereby effectually preventing removal of the shank. When it is desired to remove the button from the lapel, the extensions 11 are gripped between the fingers of the person desiringto remove the button and sufficient pressure applied to move the gripping edges outwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, thereby releasin the frictional engagement with the shanir 22 and permitting the button to be readily withdrawn.

It is desired to particularly emphasize the ease with which my device may be manufactured, the clamping and backing elements being each readily stamped from sheet metal and assembled by a simple crimping operation. The offset members 4; provide a powerful clamping means which will effectually prevent loss of either the button or the securing means, and the rigid construction insures an efiicient and durable device. It is furthermore particularly noted that the buttonshank need not be threaded and the securing means does not require tapping. This reduces the cost of manufacture both of the button and the securing device. To

insert the smooth shank through the fabric and push my'novel securing device over the end of the shank requires but an instant of time and may be accomplished with a minimum of inconvenience, thus affording a dis with and arranged to removably engage said shank to retain said button in position upon said fabric.

2. The combination with a button having a, straight shank adapted for insertion through fabric and the like, of a securing member having securing means formed integral therewith and. arranged to 'frictionally engage said shank to 'removably retain said 7 button in position upon said fabric.

3. The combination with a button having a -stra1ght' shank adapted for insertion through fabric and the like, of a securing member having a pair of proximate clamping elements formed integral therewith and arranged to frictionally engage said shank ric andthe like, of a securing member cornprisin a rim; a pair of clamping elements formec integrally with said rim, said elements having proximate edges oppositely recessed to form an aperture of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the shank whereby said shank may be frictionally encraged to retain the button in position upon t e fabric.

6; The combination with a button having a shank adapted for insertion through fabric and the like, of a securing member comprising a rim; a pair of clamping elements formed from inwardly disposed extensions formed upon the rim and having proximate edges recessed to receive'and frictionally engage aid shank, said extensions being outwardly offset from the rim to. provide gripping edges by which said clamping elements may be sprungoutwardly to releaselsaid shank. g

.7. The combination with a'button having a shank adapted for'insertion through fabed for retaining said button in position upon said fabric, said securingmember compr1s-' mg a rlm; an apertured backing element se-' cured upon the front of said rim; a pair of inwardly disposed extensions formed upon the rim and rearwardly offset from the backing. element to form clamping elements having proximate edges recessed to form an aperture of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the shank, saidfclamping ele ments being adapted to be sprung rearwardly to grip the shank when the securing member is moved onto the said shank.

8. As an article of manufacture, a securlng means for buttons having a shank, said securing me'anscomprising a gripping ele ment consisting-of an annular ring, the center portion of which is'stamped to form a pairof rearwardly offset clamping elements having proximate edges thereof recessed to form a centrally disposed aperture, said clamping elements being adapted to be sprung rearwardly to grip a button shank when forced through said aperture; and a backlng element consisting of an annular ring provided with a flange arranged to be crimped over the gripping element ring and having a diametrlcally disposed bar having ric and the like, of a securing member adaptan aperture registering With the recesses of the clamping elements.

9. A an article of manufacture, a securing means for buttons having a shank, said securing means comprising a gripping elementeonsisting of an annular ring the center portion of which is stamped to form a pair of rearwardly ofi'set clamping elements having proximate edges thereof recessed to form a centrally disposed aperture, said clamping elements being adapted to be sprung rearwardly to grip a button shank when forced through said aperture; out- Wardly ofl'set ends formed upon the clamping elements to provide gripping means by which .said clamping elements ma be sprung to V In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

CHARLES MENDLER. 

